Dr. Jeffrey T LeJeune is an Assistant Professor of the Food Animal Health Research Program in the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine at OSU. Currently his research areas of interest include preharvest control of human foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the animal host and the environment. Current projects focus on the effects of diet composition on the magnitude and prevalence of E. coli O157 in cattle and the identification of practical, on-farm methods to reduce bacterial contamination of livestock drinking water. Additional professional interests include other bacterial zoonoses and infectious diseases of farmed finfish. lejeune.3@osu.edu

Dr. Daniel A Herms is an Associate Professor in the department of Entomology in OSU-OARDC and a State Specialist with Ohio State University Extension.  He also serves as the Associate Chair of the Entomology Department.  Herms’ research and extension programs address (1) plant-insect interactions including chemical ecology of plant defense, (2) IPM for ornamental landscapes, urban forests, and nurseries.  He is an avid butterfly gardener and scuba diver, but has yet to figure out how to combine the two.  He received his PhD in Entomology with a specialization in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Michigan State University in 1991.  Prior to joining Ohio State University in 1997, Herms worked for 13 years at the Dow Gardens in Midland , Michigan , where he directed their pest management program. herms.2@osu.edu

Dr. Warren A Dick is a Professor of Soil and Environmental Chemistry in the department of Environmental and Natural Resources at OSU; he received his Ph.D in Soil Science form Iowa State University in 1980. His actual research areas cover Microbial ecology, No tillage, Coal combustion products, Solid waste management, Soil microbiology and soil biochemistry. His soil microbial ecology program is focused on understanding and manipulating soil microbial communities to produce practical solutions for bioremediation, biosecurity and biogeochemical cycling. dick.5@osu.edu

Dr. Brian McSpadden Gardener is a Researcher committed associated professor from the Plant Pathology department that received his Ph.D. in Botany from Michigan State University in 1998. He began work in the field of biological control of plant pathogens as an ARS postdoctoral fellow under the guidance of Dr. David Weller. His research focuses on defining the diversity, population dynamics, and ecological functioning of microbial populations that colonize crop plants. Particular emphasis is given to studying Pseudomonas and Bacillus spp. with potential for development as biopesticides. bbmg+@osu.edu

Dr. Parwinder S Grewal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Entomology at OARDC-Wooster campus. He obtained his Ph.D in Zoology from the Imperial College at the University of London in 1990. He has worked over the past years in encompass ecosystem level approaches to pest management with current emphasis on the interactions among trophic levels in turfgrass. Much of his lab work is focused on microbial control of arthropods with fungal endosymbionts of grasses, entomopathogenic and molluscicidal nematodes. grewal.4@osu.edu